This property offered everything that we hoped for or wanted in our visit to Oaxaca. The romance of Mexico was readily apparent from the large balcony with mountain views rising over a rolling cityscape; from the tile work throughout but particularly the kitchen and baths; from the profusion of local art decorating the apartment; to the container gardens on every level from street entry to azotea (roof terrace) with its display of potted cacti and more expansive views. My favorite moments happened early in the morning sitting on the balcony, watching the sun rise over the mountains, smelling the new day's sweetness lingering on the air, and listening to the distant rooster rejoicing that it had yet another day saved from the stew pot. But taking the night on the azotea with family and a bottle of mezcal had its own magic.

The house was spotlessly clean at our arrival and the property well maintained. It had everything. My son said, "Is there a coffee grinder?" And there was a coffee grinder. I asked another time, "Is there a citrus juicer?" And there it was. In short the home provided everything we needed for meal preparations, as well as, ample linens throughout. The automatic ice maker in the refrigerator along with filtered water throughout was a real boon in a hot climate. In short the only thing that we found missing was a second week to continue enjoying the place.

Alejandro and Judith maintain the property and provide ancillary services. Alejandro will pick you up at the airport for instance. Their telephone numbers are available at the property and they passed through to see what if anything was needed on a regular basis. They are delightful, but like most Oaxaquenos have a limited amount of English, so basic Spanish or and iPad or smartphone with a translation program is helpful. And not just for the property, but for moving about Oaxaca.

The property is a 20 minute walk to the north end of the Centro Histórico, the plaza at El Templo de Santo Domingo. And requires an addition 5 minutes to walk home as it is uphill. There are taxis available but we seemed to regularly walk.It is a pleasant walk past bars, cafes, and other small businesses. And the location of this house provided a sense of what the real Oaxaca was like. It is situated between the tourist buzz to the south and commercial buzz of modern Mexican society to the north. We could not have been happier.